Early 2001: Vick, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor decided to start a venture "aimed at sponsoring American Pit Bull Terriers in dogfighting competitions." Later that same year, Purnell A. Peace, joined the venture.

May 2001: Taylor identifies the Surry County, Va., property as a "suitable location for housing and training pit bulls for fighting."

June 29, 2002: Vick pays about $34,000 for the purchase of the property.

2001--02: Vick and his co-defendants start acquiring pit bulls for the fighting operation.

2002: Vick and his co-defendants establish "Bad Newz Kennels."

Summer 2002: Vick and his co-defendants put dogs through "testing" sessions to determine which animals were good fighters. Dogs that did not perform well were killed, but Vick did not kill any dogs at this time.

2002--07: "Bad Newz Kennels" operation continued to host dogfights and participate in fights in other states.

April 2007: Vick, Peace and Phillips conduct additional "testing" sessions, in which six to eight dogs that did not perform well were killed by drowning or hanging. Vick "agrees and stipulates" the dogs all died as a result of the "collective efforts" of all three.

April 24, 2007: Vick is a no-show for a congressional breakfast to request more money for after-school football programs.

April 25, 2007: As part of their investigation, police raid Vick's Virginia property and find several neglected pit bulls and evidence of dogfighting.

April 28, 2007: Attending the NFL draft in New York, Vick allegedly tells commissioner Roger Goodell that his friends and family members are responsible for the dogfighting.

May 11, 2007: Vick tells reporters that lawyers advised him not to make public comments about possible dogfighting on his property.

June 7, 2007 : Federal investigators raid Vick's property.

July 6, 2007: Federal prosecutors indicate they have a strong case against Vick.

July 17, 2007: Vick, Peace, Phillips and Taylor are charged by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., with conspiring to engage in competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

July 20, 2007: Animal rights activists protest in New York outside NFL offices. Upstairs, Goodell is meeting with another group of activists.

July 24, 2007: Falcons owner Arthur Blank confirms the team wanted to suspend Vick for four games, the maximum allowed under the league's collective bargaining agreement with the players' union, but adds he will wait on the NFL to conduct its own investigation.

July 26, 2007: Vick and his co-defendants plead not guilty to the charges in the indictment.

July 30, 2007: Taylor changes his plea to guilty and agrees to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of Vick and the other two men.

Aug. 17, 2007 : Peace and Phillips, the remaining two co-defendants, plead guilty and implicate Vick in bankrolling gambling on dogfights. One said the quarterback helped drown or hang dogs that didn't do well.

Aug. 20, 2007: Vick's lawyer says the NFL star discussed the matter with his family and decided to plead guilty. A plea hearing is set for Aug. 27.

Aug. 23, 2007: Vick signs plea agreement and statement of facts admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and helping kill pit bulls. He denied betting on the fights, only bankrolling them.

Aug. 27, 2007: Vick appears at U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va., to plead guilty to federal dogfighting charges. At a subsequent news conference, Vick apologizes to the NFL and his Atlanta Falcons teammates in his first public statements.